Kaleidoscope Eyes
by spicygurl
Summary: If only Ponyboy Curtis could see that Dallas isn't the one for him, Two-Bit is.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: Slash, and a bit of dirty language.****  
><strong>**Pairing: Dallas and Ponyboy**  
><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders.<strong>

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><p><strong>Kaleidoscope Eyes <strong>

Two-Bit layed out on the undersized couch, his head propped up on one arm rest, legs on the other. Words couldn't describe the amount of boredom he was experiencing. Ponyboy was taking _way_ too long to come home.

"He's probably with _him _again," the burly greaser muttered bitterly. By 'him' he meant Dallas, Pony's crush of 2 months now. It took all of Two-Bit's strength not to vomit at the thought of them being together, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. Pony was a very attractive guy; up until recently, Two-Bit would have sworn he as heterosexual, but that kid could sure twist a guy's mind around.

In all honesty, Two-Bit didn't understand what the younger boy saw in Dally Winston. The blond wasn't exactly the most attractive guy in the gang. No, Sodapop won that one by a mile. But still, after Soda, the other boys lined up relatively close. All except Dally, who, in Two-Bit's eyes, was about a mile in the other direction.

_Pony's vision must be screwed_, Two-Bit concluded.

The door opened then, revealing the auburn-haired boy of the gang. Two-Bit tried to read the boy's expression, to determine whether or not the boy had luck with Dally or failed miserably. For if Dallas had turned him away, Pony would want nothing more than to sit and cuddle with whoever happened to be there; he's clingy like that.

After receiving no hint from the boy's face, Two-Bit asked, "Well? How'd the hood hunt go?" He'd asked it rather bluntly but, as per usual, Pony didn't pick up on it.

"I think ... he might like me, too, but …," he sighed, dropping his bag to the already cluttered floor. "I don't know; Dally's confusing."

_I wouldn't be confusing!_ Two-Bit wanted to scream at him. But, of course he couldn't say that to the boy. Instead he offered words of encouragement:

"I'm sure everything will work out fine. You should know Dallas by now; he doesn't believe in _emotions _or _feelings _like you girls do."

Pony attempted to arch his eyebrow, as he picked up on the joke Two-Bit tossed his way, "Girl? I'm about as much of a girl as you are."

Two-Bit smiled, "You mean you're about as much of a girl as my sister is."

That did it. Pony pounced faster than Two-Bit could blink. That was what got the kid the upper hand in fights; he was quick, but he wasn't strong. Two-Bit had him pinned down within a minute.

Pony struggled beneath him, kicking his legs dangerously close to Two-Bit's crotch. The older greaser put more of his weight on Pony's legs, protecting himself from getting hit where the sun don't shine. It would have hurt badlythe way Pony was kicking.

"Gotta be stronger than that if you're going to attack that fast," Two-Bit advised. He was right; the element of surprise only worked its full potential when you had the power to back it up.

"I know, now get off; you're crushin' me!"

Two-Bit pushed more of his weight on the boy, "I'm crushing you?" Pony groaned as he felt the effects of the added weight. Then it was suddenly lifted, "Why didn't you just say so."

Pony glared at him, but refused to get up off the floor. Closing his eyes, Pony hummed lightly, relaxing in the space of the floor that their previous antics cleared up.

"Why do you like ol' Dally anyway?" It wasn't meant to come out of his lips sounding the way it had, but it was out there now, ready to be digested by Pony.

"I don't really know, exactly," Pony opened one green eye, and then shrugged. "I never really thought too hard about it."

Two-Bit shook his head slowly. _That doesn't make any sense. _"So, you mean you just woke up one day in love with Dallas Winston."

"No," Pony replied, "It was an over-time thing. We spent a lot of time together, especially considering Johnny was both of our best friends, even if he won't admit it." He shrugged again, "I guess he just grew on me."

Now the older greaser just felt stupid. How many times had Pony asked for him to take him to the movies, or to The Dingo, or the bowling alley, just so he could refuse and instead guzzle down beer? Sure, he hadn't known that he had feelings for the kid then, but he sure as hell knew now, and it was too late.

Silently, Two-Bit got up and strode out of the house without another word, leaving Ponyboy to stare after him in confusion.

**xXx **

It turned out that Pony was right. Dallas _did _like him back, and it didn't take long for the gang to find out about it. Those two were always all over each other: kissing whenever and wherever they felt like kissing, grabbing and touching on each other however they wanted, and of course these all lead to the inevitable: fucking all hours of the damn day.

Two-Bit felt himself lose control every time he saw them together, any time he heard them moan for each other; he felt every emotion known to man, and then some. Hurt, sick, pain, anger, jealousy, everything.

Boy, but when the gang—minus Pony and Dally, of course – found out the reason behind his flair of emotions, they felt terrible. It suddenly became their job to protect Two-Bit, keep him out of the house when the lovebirds were together.

And that's what they did.

Anytime Soda heard Pony's breathing get a little heavy, or Steve noticed Dally's hands get a little too grab-happy, or Johnny saw the two of them scurry off towards the bedroom, they'd be on the porch waiting for Two-Bit to come so they could hurry him off to The Dingo with them.

One day, when Dallas was away jockeying for the Slash J's, Pony finally took the time to notice that he hadn't seen Two-Bit around the house for the last few days. Deciding he had nothing better to do for the day, he grabbed his coat and began his walk to the Mathews' house.

Upon his arrival, he heard his friend's all too familiar laughter from the backyard, and went around to see what he found so funny. He was sitting on the hood of his old clunker, talking to Soda, who was under the car, once again fixing the brakes.

"Hey, guys," Pony said, making his presence known. Soda pulled out from under the car, giving Two-Bit a look before waving him over.

"Hey, Pony, what are you doing here?" Soda didn't mean it in a rude way, and if he had, it would have flown right over Pony's head. He sees the best in everyone, or whatever.

Pony's eyes fixed on Two-Bit, "I came to talk to him."

No one noticed the wave of concern that passed over Soda at these words, he wasn't entirely sure that Two-Bit was ready to talk to Pony yet. But, when the older greaser nodded at him, he said, "Well, I'm gonna go find Hailey, and ask her for some lemonade."

"Just be careful with my sister, okay? You know she has a crush on you; I'd hate for her to fall in love with you and find out that you love some other girl." Sure, Hailey was only 12, but still, it could happen.

Soda winced at his allusion to his and Pony's relationship, but otherwise nodded as he left.

Picking up on nothing that was just mentioned, the auburn-haired boy moved to take a seat on the car next to his second best friend. "Where have you been, grease? I haven't seen you around lately."

"I imagine you haven't seen anyone around lately. Staying in your room with Dally all day and night will do that to ya."

Pony felt his cheeks burn as he realized the truth behind that statement. He and Dally had been sleeping together a lot lately, but he never really thought about it before. Pony just figured that because they were a new couple, they each had a lot of exploring and experimenting to do with the other. He never meant to spend all his time with his boyfriend.

"Where is he anyway?" he couldn't resist asking the question.

"He's at the rodeo with Buck," Two-Bit nodded, and then gazed out through the kitchen window, where he saw his sister and Soda leaning over the counter talking.

"Glory," he mused, "That kid sure can blush around your brother; I can see it from all the way out here." Two-Bit paused, "But of course her blush isn't nearly as bad as yours. I can see yours from the other side of town."

Ponyboy pulled his jacket tighter around him, hoping to distract from the shades his face was turning, but it didn't work; Two-Bit just stared at him, a foreign look in his gray eyes.

"What did you want to talk to me about, kid?" Two-Bit asked coming out of his state. His voice was softer than before.

"Why haven't we hung out in a while? I mean, even when Dally isn't around?" He turned his piercing green eyes on Two-Bit, "You're one of my best friends; I miss you."

The older greaser moaned, trying his hardest to keep his resolve, but those big, sad eyes were breaking him down, and piecing him apart. "Okay," Two-Bit squeaked, making Pony arch an eyebrow in amusement. He cleared his throat, and continued, "Okay, yeah. Let's do something later."

"Do you have anything in mind? I'm up for whatever you want to do."

Somehow, Two-Bit doubted that. There were quite a few things he wanted to do with Pony, but they were things that both Pony and Dally would not even consider. So, he opted for a G-rated activity, "We could get some ice cream."

Pony's entire face glowed like a child's. If there was anything the kid loved it was ice cream; ice cream, cake, and chocolate. "Good idea," then he ran to the window, tapped on it, and when Soda opened it, told him where the two of them were off to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: Dirty language, sexual gestures (nothing too graphic).  
>Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders<br>Thank you so much for your reviews; they are very much appreciated.**

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><p><strong>Kaleidoscope Eyes<br>**

Going out for ice cream was starting to seem like a bad idea to Two-Bit. As he watched Pony lick his ice cream, he became more and more hot and bothered. Who would have known that Ponyboy Curtis, chocolate fanatic, would actually favor vanilla ice cream. And damn he was a messy eater...

"Somethin' wrong with you ice cream?" Pony asked, eating his own more seductively, although it was unknown to him. "You haven't eaten much."

"Huh? Oh, no! It's fine ... just a little hot," he whispered the last part to himself. He took another spoonful of ice cream. Unlike Ponyboy, Two-Bit ordered a banana split.

Pony shrugged, and continued to assault his ice cream.

"So," Two-Bit tried, attempting to alleviate the arising problem in his jeans. "How are you and Dally doing?"

Slightly surprised by the question, Pony responded, "We're all right."

"Y'all haven't fought yet?" Pony shook his head 'no'. "So, the only disagreement y'all have had was whether to do it on the bed or the floor."

Pony's cheeks flared scarlet, and he gave Two-Bit a look that said 'who told you that?' "Could you ... when we're ... can you hear us in there?"

Two-Bit laughed, "No, I was just joking, but apparently I was right on the money." The younger boy couldn't look any closer to death by embarrassment. "Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, which side usually wins?"

Pony took Two-Bit's spoon from his fingers, and took a bite of the banana split. "Mm," he hummed, avoiding the _very_ personal question, "This is really good. You should eat some before it melts all the way through."

"Yeah, yeah, but—"

"Really, you should try some," and Pony shoved a spoonful of the ice cream in Two-Bit's mouth.

**xXx**

The rest of the day was amazing; Two-Bit couldn't have asked for anything better. A day filled with laughter, ice cream, and that perfect blush that highlighted Pony's attractiveness. Nothing could ruin this... or so Two-Bit thought.

A red T-Bird pulled up next to the two boys on the sidewalk. When the driver rolled the window down, Two-Bit rolled his eyes while Pony's face lit up.

"Hey, Dally! What are you doing here?" Pony asked excitedly. He stopped a minute to acknowledge Johnny, who was sitting in the passenger seat, albeit with less enthusiasm.

"Johnny and I were just on our way to your house when we spotted you two grease monkeys walking around town. Y'all need a ride?"

Two-Bit wanted so badly to tell the blond to go away, get lost, and stop trying to ruin his perfect moment, but of course he couldn't. Not unless he wanted to get his head kicked in, or upset Ponyboy. So, he nodded and made to open the back door so he could sit next to Ponyboy, who was already settled in the seat.

Dally leaped out of the front seat, keys jingling between his fingers. "Hey, Two, you mind driving? I'm real tired, what with driving around town all day." It seemed as if Dally was in the back, snuggled up against Pony before he even had a chance to deny.

"Sure, Dally, I can drive," if he'd taken a moment's glance away from his boyfriend, Dallas would have noticed the very uncharacteristic glare directed towards him. He shoved the key in the ignition, and pulled away from the curb...

**xXx**

Two-Bit glanced up in the rear view mirror, this time seeing nothing more than that stupid white-blond hair that he'd grown to loathe in the past few months.

They were making quite a bit of noise ...well, Ponyboy was at least. Two-Bit gripped the wheel hard, his knuckles just shy of flushing white. _He_ was supposed to be the one in the back having his way with Ponyboy, not Dallas. Dallas should have been the cab driver, but that wasn't the way fate willed it.

"Spread your legs," it was a subtle request made by Dallas, but it wasn't quiet enough to be just between them. A glance at the tanned skinned boy in the passenger seat confirmed that he'd also heard it.

Two-Bit heard Pony moan again, and he had a pretty big hunch that Dally had gotten his way.

After a few more minutes, Pony's moans became a lot louder and more frequent, and Two-Bit just about had enough of it. He tapped Johnny's leg, causing him to look up, his eyes clearly portraying discomfort and embarrassment.

Silently, Two-Bit mouthed the words, "Buckle up!" while pulling his seatbelt on. Once he was reassured by the clicks, he winked at Johnny before slamming his foot down on the brakes. He smirked when he felt something big hit the back of his seat.

"What was that?" Two-Bit asked, knowing full well that it was Dallas that flew forward when his car stopped.

"I should ask you that," Dally seethed, rubbing the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?"

Two-Bit had to hide the smirk that was bubbling on his lips, "I thought I saw a cat run in front of the car; you wouldn't want me to kill an innocent creature, would you, Dal?" Dally growled, and Two-Bit went on, "Besides, you should have had your seatbelt on; it's for your own safety."

That was all that was said, and Two-Bit slowly started driving away again. From the backseat, nothing more could be heard other than Pony's soft voice asking if Dally's head was okay.

It was the first time Two-Bit had sabotaged the couple, and it gave him such a rush knowing that he'd pulled the two off each other, even if it was only for a moment. That's why this time was far from the last.

There was the time he'd caught Dallas sneaking into the bathroom when they both knew that Pony was in the shower. Two-Bit waited about five minutes before claiming he had to use the restroom.

Once in there, he smirked evilly as he walked to the toilet. Anyone that ever spent a morning at the Curtis house knew that flushing the toilet while someone was in the shower, turned the water colder than anything. But, this morning, it 'slipped Two-Bit's mind.'

Pony screamed, Dally gasped, and Two-Bit half-assed a lame apology.

"Sorry, Pony, I forgot," he heard Dally mumble something under his breath, and it definitely wasn't a compliment. "Dally? You're in there too? Huh, maybe you guys should shower one-at-a-time; that tub isn't all that big."

And then there was the time he'd tricked Darry into stopping the couple's fun.

"I think he's sick," he told Darry, his voice laced with false concern. "He didn't look so hot when I picked him up from school, and he's been back there for a while..."

Darry's face was cool, collected, even though Two-Bit knew he was panicking on the inside. "I'll go check on him –"

"Don't bother knocking, Superman. I've been knocking all day, and he just yells that he's fine and to go away," that was only partially true. He had knocked a few times, but it wasn't Pony that yelled at him; it was Dallas.

Darry nodded and disappeared down the hall, only to rush into the kitchen a moment later. Two-Bit snickered, and then followed the oldest Curtis brother.

"Well, is he alright?" Two-Bit asked.

"Yeah, he's just fine..."

"What's up with you, Superman? You act like you've seen someone's ass."

Darry growled at Two-Bit, the same time Pony entered the kitchen, his clothes sloppily put on.

"What did you need, Darry?" Pony asked, sounding about as awkward as he looked, and that was pretty damn awkward.

"Nothing really," Darry answered, "Two-Bit here thought you were sick, and wanted me to check on you. I didn't realize you were busy."

Two-Bit thought this would be the end, that Pony would scurry on back to his room and continue doing whatever he was doing with Dally. But instead, he turned to the burly greaser, unconsciously fixing his hair.

"You thought I was sick? Why would you think that? I've been fine all afternoon."

The question was totally unexpected, and Two-Bit didn't have much time to prepare an answer. Quickly, the burly greaser glanced at Darry for help, but the older man just shrugged and exited the kitchen.

When he glanced back at Pony, he noticed that the boy had his arms folded across his chest, irritation painted clearly on his face. "Darry, Two-Bit and I are going for a walk!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: Language, and slight OOC.  
>Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.<br>Thanks again for the reviews and kind words. I really appreciate them all.**

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><p><strong>Kaleidoscope Eyes<strong>

Pony was walking, no pacing, in front of him quickly, and Two-Bit's stomach dropped. He had a troubling feeling that he knew what this was about.

Finally, after they were well away from the Curtis house, Pony spun around, his eyes lit with anger. _Yup_, Two-Bit thought, _he finally figured it out._

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about—" Two-Bit tried to lie, but Pony cut him off.

"Bull. Shit."

He stared at the younger boy in pure shock. For the first time in the past few days, Two-Bit realized just how much trouble he'd been causing.

"Why are you making so much of a fuss over me and Dally? And don't you dare try and lie to me either."

After biting his lip, Two-Bit decided enough was enough, and it was time to tell the truth; express to Pony how he truly felt. "I don't think you should be with Dally..."

Slightly angered by this response, Pony crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I don't think you should be worried about _my _relationship." He paused for a moment, calming himself down. "Why are you worried anyway? You know Dally by now; he isn't all that bad." Pony made sure that he'd whispered the last part. If anyone heard him say that last part out loud, Dally could have to do some pretty dangerous things to reclaim his title.

Two-Bit kicked a rock, shrugging his shoulder, "I don't know."

Pony took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself even further. "Two-Bit," he said calmly, closing his eyes to stress his frustration nonverbally. "Tell me why you're screwing with us, right now."

"That's the thing, Ponyboy," Two-Bit said equally as frustrated. "You don't know what you're asking for—"

"I'm pretty sure I do."

"Okay, I'll tell you," Pony was very satisfied to hear this. However, he was very much dissatisfied when he noticed the other male clearing his throat, fixing his hair, and doing everything else that could be classified as 'stalling.'

"Today, Two-Bit, if you don't mind," The older male seemed to be at a loss for words, trying to dig up the pavement with his toes. Looking closely, there was a light blush on Two-Bit's cheeks. Now Pony was confused and he began to back-track so he could figure what caused this reaction.

He thought back to the man's actions. How he hit the brakes in the car while he was making out with Dally in the backseat; how he flushed the toilet when he was in the shower with Dally. And today, how he told Darry to come in his room while he was getting ... intimate with Dally.

But these things only supported the idea that Two-Bit didn't want Dally and him to be in a relationship. There was no evidence as to _why _he didn't want them together, so he dug a little deeper.

He thought back to the day he and Dally first started dating. Slowly, the memories of Two-Bit at his house began to fade, and he remembered how he had to go over to his house to ask him what was wrong. He especially remembered what Two-Bit said to Soda when he went inside so they could talk privately.

_"Just be careful with my sister, okay? You know she has a crush on you; I'd hate for her to fall in love with you and find out that you love some other girl." _

He always remembered things that didn't make sense to him. He could still hear the bitterness in Two-Bit's voice, and see the hurt in his eyes when he looked up. It was almost as if...

As if he was referring to how he felt about Pony.

The auburn haired boy gasped, looking at Two-Bit, who was still stalling.

"Do you like me, Two-Bit? Like, really like me?" Pony blurted.

Two-Bit looked up, his cheeks noticeably darker, eyes full of surprise and wonder at how Pony had put all of this together so fast. However, by not verbally answering Pony's question, he did himself a disservice, as Pony found his silence speaking volumes.

"Two-Bit, I...," Pony tried, searching his mind for the right thing to say. But what do you say to someone that has had a crush on you for who knows how long, and tried to ruin your relationship?

Yeah, there isn't much.

**xXx**

Soda felt Ponyboy toss in his bed again. Finally, he sighed and asked, "You okay there, Pone?" The exhaustion was clear in his voice, laced thickly around his words.

"Yeah," he lied, "I'm fine."

_3 ... 2 ...1 ..., _Soda counted down in his head.

"It's just," Pony continued, as Soda knew he would. "This whole Two-Bit thing is buggin' me something awful."

Soda turned over to face his brother, propping himself up on his left elbow. "Don't let it bug you too much, kiddo. It's just a crush; he'll get over it." Pony looked at him as if he'd said the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. "Trust me, Pony, I know how this works."

Stupidly, Pony thought for a moment that Soda had been the sights of another boy, just as he was, but he knew better than that. He was more than likely referring to the buckets of girls that found him attractive and hit on him at the DX.

"Just give him some time, Pony. He will get over it." It seemed that, for now, all Pony could do was wait and see what happened.

**xXx**

_Ponyboy hacked a sob, sitting on the couch with his brothers and the gang around him. Each of them looking as torn apart as Pony was acting._

_He couldn't believe it._

_Two-Bit was dead. He died. He's gone forever, and it was all Pony's fault._

_"I killed him," he cried. He hated himself; he hated himself for not loving Two-Bit the way he loved Dallas, for ignoring him when his boyfriend was near, for everything._

_"Please don't cry, Pony," Soda soothed, trying his best not to fall to pieces as Pony was. He was crying, too, but he needed to provide stability for his younger brother._

_Pony ignored him as he was now reaching a new height of hysterics. He jumped up, out of Soda's grasp, "Two-Bit!" he screamed to the sky. "Two-Bit, I'm sorry, just come back!" _

_"Ponyboy, it wasn't your fault," Darry offered, his face looked tired and old with unshed tears. Sure, maybe he pretended to dislike the guys, and maybe he'd rough them up a bit sometimes, but that didn't mean he didn't love them. _

_Two-Bit was the laughter, the happiness of the gang, and he went and killed himself over his youngest brother. How could he do something so ... so stupid? Didn't he even stop and consider how his actions would affect everyone else? His mom, his sister, the gang, did they mean so little to him if he couldn't have Ponyboy?_

_Even now, as he watched painfully as his brothers cried in each other's arms, he couldn't bring himself to dislike Two-Bit for breaking them just as their parents had not too long ago. They all knew how the boy felt about Pony, and they did what they could to ease the pain. But, as Darry would know, love makes you do the dumbest things._

_"Ponyboy, you need to wake up," he heard Soda say distantly. "Wake up!"_

Slowly, Ponyboy opened his eyes, revealing a very blurry reality. He wiped at his face, not surprised in the slightest that his fingertips were moistened when he brought them down. What really surprised him was that Soda was crying too, silently, just as he had in his nightmare.

"I'm up, stop shakin' me, Sodapop," Pony croaked, his throat was so sore and dry. He really wanted a glass of water.

"Darry," Soda yelled, "He's up now!" He wrapped Pony in his arms, stroking his hair gently, and leaking tears on the top of his head.

His oldest brother was in the room instantly, it seemed, and was standing awkwardly next to the hugging pair, waiting patiently for them to stop crying so he could ask some questions. But Pony beat him to the punch.

"Is Two-Bit ... is he here?" Pony asked his voice very small and childish.

Darry was slightly confused by this, "its two-in-the-morning, kiddo. No one's here—"

Pony pulled away from Soda, hopped off the bed, and began pulling on a pair of jeans. "Where do you think you're going, Pony? Didn't you hear Darry? It's two AM."

"I don't care," he wiped his face again, and then pulled his shirt over his head. "I have to find Two-Bit."


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again, your support has been phenomenal. **

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><p><strong>Kaleidoscope Eyes<strong>

"Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked rubbing his eyes. Maybe he was dreaming; he had to be. There was no way on Earth that Darry or Sodapop would let the kid out this late at night. This was just his mind playing an insensitive prank on him. Pony wasn't really here hugging the crap out of his torso. That's why, his mind reasoned, it wouldn't matter if he embraced the boy back. After all this was his dream, he thought sleepily, and Dallas couldn't really do anything about it.

"Two-Bit," Pony sighed, tears running down his cheeks, "Don't leave me." Two-Bit just stared at the youngest Curtis, which made him squirm under the grey-eyed gaze.

Starting to become more aware of the situation and beginning to wake up a bit more, Two-Bit realized that he wasn't dreaming. It _was _ Ponyboy knocking on the door at 2 in the morning, and it _was _his two older brothers watching them with worried eyes.

"Wait," Two-Bit asked rather loudly, causing the other boys to jump. "What's going on here?"

Ponyboy explained, catching everyone's attention. He told them how Two-Bit was messing with him and Dally's relationship (which both amused and disappointed the two brothers), then he told how he figured out Two-Bit had feelings for him, then finally went into detail about his nightmare. The other three boys were shocked into silence by the time Pony finished, none knowing quite what to say. It wasn't their fault; that was quite a lot of information to take in at once.

Two-Bit was the first to speak, "You had a dream... that I killed myself?"

"It was a nightmare..." Pony mumbled. It seemed that only now he realized just how ridiculous it sounded. "And it seemed so real!"

"No kidding," Soda added. "He was crying and screaming, 'I killed him! I killed him!'."

Ponyboy turned and gave his brother a look. "Soda..., why don't you guys wait for me in the car or something? I won't take too long."

Now Darry spoke up for the first time since they left the house. "Actually, we gotta head home right now, Kiddo. Soda and I gotta work in the morning and this is wasting sleep for everyone."

Pony glanced at Darry and Soda and then Two-Bit before he began to turn and walk out, "Okay."

"Ugh," Two-Bit groaned, he knew he would regret doing this to himself in the morning but he offered Pony to stay with him for the night, or the rest of it anyway, if it would make him feel any better. The older Curtises shared a look of concern as Pony asked if he could.

"I mean, I guess if it's alright with Two-Bit," Darry responded uneasily. Soon the Curtis truck was backing out of the drive way and zooming up the street. Soda must be driving.

"We should go to my room; my mom is going to be running around out here in a couple hours and she makes a lot of noise."

**xXx**

Within a few minutes both boys were in Two-Bit's bed , Ponyboy under the sheets and Two-Bit on top of them. The older boy yawned, then fidgeted a bit before finally rolling to face the boy on the other half of his bed. He really was an attractive little runt, even in the dark when the only thing that was clearly visible was his outline.

"What's on your mind, Pony?"

"Can I ... Can I trust you to be completely honest with me right now?" Pony asked, still staring at the ceiling. "You know I'll be honest with you too, and I won't tell anyone anything, but I need you to be honest with me right now."

There was a small pang of hurt in Two-Bit, "Ponyboy, you can always trust me to be completely honest with you, you should know that."

"Well, I thought I _did _know that, but look what happened there," Pony wasn't trying to be mouthy when he uttered those words, and Two-Bit saw that, but it was still a pretty low-shot to bring up their situation like that.

"You know that's not fair. You always talked about Dally-this and Dally-that, there was never a real opportunity to tell you how I felt, ya know?"

Pony went silent, thinking, "Well, how long have you liked me then?"

"I honestly have no idea. I'd guess since your birthday but I really don't remember."

"You really should have told me, Two-Bit; it would have been a lot easier than trying to ruin every moment Dally and I spent together." Pony paused for a moment. "Why _did _ you do that anyway?"

"I was being stupid," Two-Bit offered to which Pony agreed instantly. "Is Dally still mad?"

"Dally doesn't even know," Pony responded. Sure, he was upset by the constant interruptions, and he was more than a little pissed when Pony had left for a walk with Two-Bit that day that Darry was tricked into believing he was ill, but contrary to popular belief, Dally doesn't hold grudges; sure, he can pretend to, but he doesn't.

Two-Bit sighed in relief, "That's one ass-kicking off my back!" To this, Pony chuckled, and Two-Bit realized how long it'd been since he last heard that sound. "Can I ask _you _something now?:

"Anything,"

"Do you—or _have you _ever felt something for me?"

Ponyboy had never been more grateful for the darkness as he was then for his cheeks had flared up in what had to have been the most vicious blush ever. "_What_?" he sputtered.

Two-Bit repeated himself, "Have you ever felt something for me? Like a crush, or something more than friendship?"

"I—I—no! No, no, no. You're like my best friend, Two-Bit, I could never... no."

"You're lying!" Two-Bit's grin was from ear-to-ear as he propped himself up on his elbows. "You're lying to me! You have liked me more than a friend!" How exciting was that? He'd liked Pony since he turned 15, maybe even longer, and wished that he'd reciprocate those everyday since: the excitement Two-Bit felt now couldn't be contained.

Just as Pony was about to deny the accusation when Two-Bit tutted at him, "Ah, ah, ah, we promised to be truthful!" To which Pony mumbled for him to shut up. It was a few minutes later, after some of the elation of this new discovery wore off that Two-Bit finally decided to ask when Pony felt this way.

"Two-Bit, it's like, 3 in the morning; we really need to go to sleep."

"But—"

"Goodnight, Two-Bit," and that was the last Pony spoke for the rest of the night.


End file.
